One of my first beers. Dark amber with nominal carbonation. Malty taste, with a vague nutty flavor. Very much a diluted or more anemic version of an English brown. Caramel sweetness in the nose and taste. Again, the body is quite light. If I am in a small town in North America without craft beer on tap, I am likely to go for something like this. One dimensional and without nuance, but seems to have some character when compared to Canadian and American adjunct lagers. (471 characters)

My first brown ale! Smelled kind of skunky when I opened it, don't know if I got an older bottle or what. Pours a clear dark amber/medium brown with a decent head. Very little carbonation, kind of flat. Lacing is good. Initial taste is a little hoppy/nutty and then mellows out quickly with a slightly/dry bitter finish. Wouldn't mind having another now and then. (367 characters)

Pours a reddish brown with a thin white head that lasts for a bit. The smell was nutty and had some earth to it, but the taste was a bit more subtle with not a lot going on. Good feel to it but overall not my favorite brown. (224 characters)

Chestnut brown color with great clarity. A fingernail of bright white surrounds the rim and half of the top. Light lacing. Aroma is caramel and light malt. The taste is a gentle dose of German bittering hops and light malt. The hops are a bit forward for a brown ale. The body is so light that it leaves me wishing for more. (330 characters)

Pours bright dark amber to brown under a persistent 2” light tan foam collar. At least a third of the bottles I have had are skunky. The ones that are not have a nice nutty, caramel aroma that also comes out in the flavor. Not a lot of hop bitterness or flavor. Medium low body, medium carbonation and moderate creaminess. Meh. (329 characters)

It's a passable beer. Slight skunkiness on the nose and palate. It's redeemed by the nuttiness taste that is a little too faint. It's drinkable and a better alternative than many domestic light beers. (200 characters)

Not much to speak of for a head. The smell was a tad funky. I couldn't find a date on the bottle but it's possible that oxidation was the culprit there. The taste is surprising. Very mild, but at the same time very different. Not very much hop presence, but the remaining ingredients combine in a way that creates a somewhat dessert-like flavor. Somehow, it is simultaneously light and heavy. I might even have to call this a very effective use of corn. In general, I like it. It's unique, if unchallenging. (507 characters)

Growing up, this was my parents go to beer, and it's easy to see why. It's real easy drinking, but that doesn't come at the expense of flavor. It's like drinking a walnut studded leather belt that's been painted with a thin layer of caramel, but y'know, in liquid form. Real simple flavor, no "notes" or "touches" of anything in this beer. The drinkability does come at the expense of body though, because this is honestly a bit watery and drinks more like a lager than anything. If you're looking for something more hearty, I'd go elsewhere, but it's a decent and simple beer, and it's easy to find for relatively cheap.

Being a clear bottled beer, you need to take care to keep it out of any direct light when you're storing it, because these things will skunk up fast. Always buy a case if you can help it, because Heineken doesn't print date information on these, which means you really have no idea how long those singles or six packs have been sitting on the shelf, soaking in light. (990 characters)

Tried it for sh!ts and giggles. Smelled skunk probably due to the clear bottle and its journey through rays of sunshine. Just disappointing but I saw it coming. Hard to believe I actually use to drink beer similar to this. (222 characters)

T: Excellent first taste. The beer goes does smooth. You are really able to taste the mild complexity of carmel, hops, nuts, and leather. The beer tastes great from beginning to end leaving a nutty aftertaste with every sip.

M&D: Feels up the mouth with a nice chewy flavor. Excellent taste and feel and an extremely drinkable brown ale. One of the best examples of this style.

O: Overall I enjoyed this beer. I purchased it at a bowling alley and enjoyed sipping on it while I took my breaks. I enjoyed the light caramel taste. (680 characters)

L: Newcastle is about a 15-17 on the SRM chart. Three inch head that dissipates to about a quarter of an inch or more with good lacing. It is a beige color and thick. It has a clear deep dark pretty brown color like an Andradite gem stone.

S: It has a pleasant aroma with floral hints and earthy tones like rotting leaves at the end of the fall, but very mild and not overpowering. The aroma is actually very mild.

T: It has a bitter taste that is strong with some pine and even cedar notes. Though it it strong it is not off-putting and almost invites you to take another swig. There is definite orange and nutmeg in there too with some cinnamon and maybe raisin - all subtle and well blended. Very complex. Some breadiness there too, but light. Definitely a dark beer flavor.

F: The body is thick and sexy like a hip hop video vixen. I would say on the heavier end of medium.

O: Newcastle was one of the first beers I really recognized as a "better beer" just before I got into microbrews, etc. It has good memories for me and more than a "good beer" it was the beer you brought to a party that said you cared - and had the money to spend. Great beer from England. Cheers. (1,191 characters)

Not so bad, my go-to beer if I'm drinking somewhere that doesn't sell microbrews, porters, stouts, IPA's, etc. when I'm not in the mood for Guiness. Preferable to the other beers you can usually find typical chain restaurants. (226 characters)

04302015Newcastle Brown Ale4.7% ABV1 pint 2.6 oz clear glass bottle with crown $2.50 State Street Northampton MAAppearance: light brown, root beer color, soda carbonation, little to no headSmell: all malt with a touch of hops, smells like a lager, a small whiff of ganjaFlavor: very light and mild, sort of watery. No hop bitternessOverall: 3.75/5 If this is what all beer tasted like, then I'd be a beer drinker for sure.There is certainly a ton of room to pack in more body and richness...but for summer this is great. (528 characters)

When drinking Newcastle, you hardly realize that you're drinking actually drinking beer. It's that different and unique. Absolutely love the flavor and definitely one of, if not my favorite beer to drink when i'm just drinking a beer or two. (241 characters)

Ah. Newcastle. This was one of my Brown Ales and I used to think it was the flagship of the style. Time has not been overly kind to this beer. I've heard and read plenty of things that make me avoid Newcastle, but I decided to give it another go during a recent pub visit. Really, this beer is much like I remember it - fizzy, thin, with a bit of chocolate and malt. There are so many other great Browns out there - this is not one I will be actively seeking out. (463 characters)

usually what I go for at a restaurant that has no other (better) option available. a toss up between Killians & this when shopping for a beer that my wife & I can drink together.a decent drinkable ale that's usually cheap on tap or pack (237 characters)

From a bottle, pours a transparent dark mahogany brown. Very smooth and silky. Malt forward for sure, very little hops coming through. It is a brown ale after all. Its good for the style. (191 characters)

I've come across rumors that this supposedly goes extremely well with chocolate cake. The combination was ok, but nothing special. By itself, though, this is a decent drink that's worth having again. (199 characters)

Pours a Mahogany color with 3/4 inch of light bubbly head. Smell is quite sweet with heavy hints of caramel and the small of roasted malt. Carbonation in moderate and feels quite bubbly on the tongue. Not quite as smooth as id expected.Tastes much like it smells. Roasted malt, caramel, and a slight bitterness of coffee.Lacing is quite nice. Head dissipates rather quickly.Overall its a delightful refreshing dark ale. Not too heavy on the belly. (447 characters)

This is a dark beer with out the nasty after taste. This beer is one of my favorite kinds of beers,most people will not drink them because they are scared of dark beers, but this dark beer is yummy, plus because most people will not drink it when they see the dark there will be more for you. (292 characters)

12 oz. bottle from Trader Joe’s. I don’t mind a brown ale, even a mass produced one. Unfortunately this one has a metallic bubble gum sort of sweet taste that I find nauseating. They could not have possibly planned this so it must be from the brewing process. Oh well! (272 characters)